


Songs to Soundtrack Jon's Life (One-Shots with Song Recommendations)

by Petalbounce



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Can be read with the playlist or without, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, London, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Other, Panic Attacks, Playlist, Snow Day, The Magnus Archives Season 1, The Magnus Archives Season 2, episodic, no beta we die like [redacted]
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26861128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petalbounce/pseuds/Petalbounce
Summary: A playlist of songs that I feel fit the tone of Jon's character and brief scenes to illustrate the songs. Not canon compliant and minimal spoilers, as I have only listened up to season 2 so far but absolutely adore Jon's character. Enjoy! :)(Note: Playlist link will be at the beginning of the work in the Notes, but you don't need to listen to each song while you read! They just help set the tone)
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Kudos: 5





	1. The Bug Collector

**Author's Note:**

> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3KlRvmax3FIicihkloQOao?si=bbweJztaQkeIFSvugmLnoA
> 
> Here is the playlist I used while writing these fics - each song corresponds to a section title and were the inspiration for each brief one-shot. They are mostly not canon compliant, so be warned!

The room sloped around Jon, encasing him in a shell of his own making. Or did it? Jon didn’t know anymore, but he also couldn’t quite bring himself to care. He pressed his eyes against his knees, desperately trying to center himself in reality and ground his senses, but his rapid breathing couldn’t settle and the walls continued to press. He didn’t even know if he was crying anymore, all he knew was the walls were pressing. It was probably his own fault though, if he was being honest. It always was, wasn’t it? He just kept fucking up, again and again and again. Martin would eventually run out of patience, Jon knew he would, and Tim already hated him. He was just weighing on Georgie’s hospitality and honestly? He couldn’t even blame him if they did leave. 

Just as he curled even further on himself, pressing the base of his spine even harder into the groaning and curling wall behind him, the hollow door across the room slammed open. Jon couldn’t even bring himself to look at whoever had come in. He had probably done something else wrong, and they were going to yell at him about it. But suddenly, there was a hand on his arm, and Jon slowly faded back into his body. His senses flushed back out and all of the sudden he could hear a voice, desperately repeating his name. When he couldn’t bring himself to respond, the figure sighed and settled next to him - wrapping both arms around Jon until he felt grounded. 

Jon’s breathing slowed as the touch rooted him to reality. The walls weren’t closing in, and he would be okay. As he faded back into existence, he realized Martin was the one who had taken it upon himself to bring him back. Typical. Martin always seemed to be there to see Jon at his worst. Regardless of his hesitation, Jon felt himself continuing to relax into Martin’s arms until he was almost limp, trapping Martin’s arm between himself and the wall. 

“There we go,” Martin murmured, and Jon could have sworn he could hear the wetness in his voice. Jon brought his eyes up to look at Martin and there - he could see the tears that had pooled in his eyes. Jon tried to speak but when he tried, Martin just shushed him and pulled him closer, muting Jon’s protests and further grounding him.   
“Next time, if you feel yourself getting back to this again, why don’t you call me, yeah? I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I can sit here with you.” The last of Jon’s stress evaporated and he let himself fully relax into Martin’s hold. 

“No matter how bad it gets, I’ll be here for you.”

And Jon couldn’t bring himself to doubt him.


	2. Achilles Come Down

Lights burst at the corners of his eyes as Martin sprinted through the Archives, desperately trying to go faster. He couldn’t bring himself to think about what might meet him there, but he knew that Jon needed his help. Tim desperately struggled to keep up, but Martin knew that they might already be out of time. The entrance to the tunnels was already opened, and Martin could hear a sickening laugh echoing from within. Far from deterring him, it only forced his legs to pound faster as he angled himself towards the entrance. 

He reached the door as Tim finally caught up, panting heavily. “Are you sure you want to do this? We can just go home, _he_ told us to go home.” The look that Martin shot his way silenced Tim, and Martin began his descent. 

\--

_ Stupid _

_ Stupid _

_ Stupid! _

Jon continued to berate himself as he quickly shuffled backwards. Of course the damned table had been holding her back, and he had missed it. He was a fool, and now everyone would suffer for it. He couldn’t bring himself to fully comprehend the words that She was slinging at him, distracted by a distant shouting. Was that Martin?! Jesus, he needed to do something so Martin wouldn’t stumble into this mess. Maybe there was still time to save Martin - give him a chance to get out. He may have made the biggest mistake of his life, but he would be damned if he would sit back while Martin was in danger. 

His voice may have shaken, but he felt his conviction in his bones. He would fix this, or he would die trying. And so, Jon started talking.


	3. Saint Bernard

Jon felt his eyes melting into salt-filled tears, but he couldn’t bring himself to contort his face in any semblance of emotion. The creature before him was not anything that he could have even conceived of in his wildest dreams, and ever since his first encounter with a Leitner, he most certainly had… interesting dreams. His jaw clenched and he continued to stare at the creature before him. It had warped into some horrifying semblance of humanity, uncanny and grotesque. But Jon couldn’t bring himself to even care as it shifted in front of him. It was going to kill him unless someone were able to burst through the metal door on the other side of the room, but Jon just felt numb. The corner of his mouth ticked up at the very thought of his impending erasure and the only sound that rang through the room was the sound of his laughter. This was it. Kind of anticlimactic, but such was life. The creature, seemingly incensed by his grating, dry laughter, spiraled towards him as Jon let his eyes drift closed, a toothy grin scratched across his face.


	4. John My Beloved

Jon looked at Martin across the room, drinking in the soft glow of his skin in the low light of the pub. He was laughing with some mates of his, people Jon hadn’t ever met before tonight. Martin had asked him to join them, something about dragging Jon into a social life kicking and screaming, and Jon couldn’t bring himself to refuse Martin almost anything so here he was. Martin was radiant, a bright light against the mulled and distant faces of the strangers surrounding him. How did he do this every time? His slightly too-large grin, stretched to almost impossible lengths, by no means should be anything special. But everytime he saw it, it took Jon’s breath away. He was just standing there, barely in the pub, when Martin spotted him. Jon didn’t even know how Martin’s smile was able to get  _ larger,  _ but it did when their eyes met. 

If he had been breathless before, Jon didn’t even know what was happening now. Martin called out to Jon and waved him over before turning and quickly alerting his friends to Jon’s presence. Jon felt a small smile grow on his lips as he dodged through the packed room. Maybe he didn’t like socializing, but if Martin was here he couldn’t bring himself to care. Especially if it meant he got to see that smile again. 


	5. Humming One of Your Songs 2013

The air swirled around them as they stood together, the faint lights of the street lamps illuminating their faces in the flickering luminescence so typical of this part of London. 

“So,” Martin began, “see you Saturday?” 

Jon had finally gotten the nerves to ask Martin to a drink this Saturday after work and, to his endless delight, Martin had said yes. Jon let a small smile grace his worn face as he assured Martin they would, in fact, be seeing each other outside of work. They each turned to start walking home and Jon had to fight the urge to turn his head to see Martin as he left, wanting to drink in the sight of him silhouetted against the cool night’s air. A light snow began to drift around Jon as he started his walk to the underground, a skip in his step and a dopey smile stuck on his face. A serenity fell over his shoulders and Martin drifted back into his mind’s eye. For the first time in a very long time, Jon felt himself actually looking forward to what the next day would bring. And as the first snow of the season fell around him and the buzz of sleepy London traffic hummed around him, Jon allowed himself to imagine that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. 


	6. Everything Is Free

Jon curled against Martin as the other man shifted, groaning softly in his sleep. A break in the blackout curtains that Martin had absolutely insisted on let a burst of sunlight through and with the bare illumination, Jon was able to study Martin’s stubborn features, his fingers itching to trace his sharp jaw and pouting lips. Martin had been absolutely over the moon when Jon finally mentioned the possibility of their moving in together, and the entire process had been over and done with in the course of the next month. They had since been living together, and Jon’s previous fears about the realities of a young(ish) couple living together for the first time had all but drifted away. Martin seemed content to let himself be clutched to in the night and never seemed to mind when Jon’s nightmares woke them both up at odd hours, and Jon actually hadn’t been as bothered by the seemingly constant presence of dirty tea mugs by the sink as he had worried he would. All in all, things were going well. Jon allowed himself to sink back into the mattress beneath him as he let his eyes drift shut, burying his face against Martin’s collarbones. It was here, wrapped in the arms of the man who he loved more than he had ever thought possible, that Jon felt at peace. 


	7. Cow Song

There was something wrong, Jon could feel it in the air as he stepped into the Archives. He hadn’t felt this…  _ off  _ since Sasha had disappeared, and he didn’t know exactly what it could mean but it most certainly wouldn’t be good. He called out to anyone who might hear him - to Elias, Martin, even Tim, but no one answered. Jon cautiously walked further in through the usual reception area and deeper into the Archives. They almost felt too silent. Usually there was the humming buzz of the electric lights, or even the ventilation units that had always felt slightly too loud, but there was nothing. He walked into the area where he was usually able to run into at least one of his assistants, but that too was completely barren. Even the radio that he hated so much was silent on the low table in the middle of the room. It wasn’t particularly early - in fact, Jon had been running slightly late this morning, but still there was no one here. Warning bells rang in the back of his mind, but Jon tried to push them aside and delay the panic that he could feel languishly roping itself around his mind. 

He checked his phone to assure himself of the time but what met him was a notification he hadn’t noticed in his rush to get through the crowded streets to work. It was a single message from one Martin Blackwood, and it had one word in all lowercase lettering. 

_ run _

The panic that had been threatening to overtake him collapsed inward and just as Jon had turned to get out of the Archive, all of the doors around him slammed shut. Pulling at the handles did no good, and in the pressing silence the sound of the single door leading further into the archives slowly opening shattered the air of stillness. Jon turned slowly, scared but determined to fight whatever might be there as best he could. But there was nothing there, except the echoing silence and the allure of the darkened passage deeper into the interior. With no other choice before him, Jon readied himself, and made his way to the door. 


	8. The Labyrinth Song

Jon was in love with Martin Blackwood.

There was no other explanation he could think of. Every time he was around the man, his heart did something that Jon hadn’t even thought it could do anymore. This strange, galloping motion that seemed to halt his breathing and push down on his stomach. Jon sat in his office, a still-warm cup of tea clutched between his hands and his eyes unable to leave the door that the man in question had just disappeared through. Interesting. Jon wanted to make sure this wasn’t some weird sort of vertigo, and so he brought the image of a smiling and awkward Martin to the front of his mind and-  _ yup _ , there it is. His heart seemed to weigh heavier in his chest. Martin was most certainly the stimulus. But what to do about it?

Jon didn’t know if he was even ready to be in a relationship again. So much had happened, and he felt so damaged. Surely Martin deserved better than  _ him _ , a scarred and broken shell of the man he used to be. But that was even if he was the type of person Martin  _ could _ love, a completely separate question. Jon felt like his head was spinning and gently set the mug on his worn wooden desk. Was he even capable of being in a relationship? He wasn’t quite sure anymore. A dark mark on the tag of his tea bag caught Jon’s eye and there, doodled in black permanent marker, was a little smiley face looking back at him. 

A laugh escaped the Archivist as he held the delicate paper tag between his fingertips, a fond smile gracing his too-stoic face. He shook his head slightly and stretched back into his chair, thinking. He might not be ready for a relationship right this moment, but he thought he might be able to get there, especially if he was willing to put in the work. And maybe if he was able to bring himself down to earth, just maybe he could be the type of partner that Martin deserved. With that goal in mind, Jon tried to let the resolution for change settle his still frantic heartbeat as he took the next statement off of the stack he kept by his desk. Even as he began to read, however, he couldn’t quite keep the whisper of a smile off his lips. 


End file.
